French use their loaf to battle obesity.

Incidentally, Al, when one orders a tartine in a café, it's always buttered, even if you don't say une tartine beurrée, svp, otherwise it would be just a piece of simple baguette, non?

Personally, I prefer to put as much or as little butter as well. But oh well, one doesn't complain for such a detail, when in Paris.

Yeah, also true about the UK breakfasts. Often the butter would drip from the hot toasts. I really hate that... but then, I am not a toast fan anyway. Have it just to go with foie gras or so.

And something seen in Britain also is pre-buttered breads in restaurants that is almost never seen in the US.

Quite so, Al.

Incidentally, lots of French don't give breakfast the importance it should get, except when they are on holiday, I'd say.

The new baguette is divided into six parts. It is recommended to have three parts for breakfast, two for lunch and the remaining one for dinner.

Incidentally, that goes along a proverb we have in the German language:
Eat like an emperor for breakfast, like a king for lunch and like a beggar for dinner.
Most people do exactly the opposite. So, no wonder they put on weight!!
Food scientist and inventor of that new baguette Claude Godard says: "I discovered that 9 out of 10 obese people who come to see me do not eat breakfast".

It's likely, this new baguette is sort of a promotion trick of the numerous small bakers who fear the tough concurrence of the food chains (les grandes surfaces) who also sell bread, mainly pre-cut and packed slices though. The chain bakeries are another threat... ugh
When in France, I always get the bread in one of those wonderful neighbourhood bakeries where, at the same time, I can take a look at the wonderful patisseries and get some..... bien sur.

And most French I know or have seen do butter their baguette (=tartines beurrées), but of course don't do it with croissants and brioches, already heavy in butter anyway, if of good quality. Then, most just put some jam.

Actually I'm a little surprised when one realizes that the normal baguette is essentially flour and water and relatively low in calories mindful that many French do not butter their baquettes. But as you say, it's to cut down the appetite rather than being promoted as a low cal item.

PARIS, Jan 21 (AFP) - To combat the growing problem of obesity in France, a new baguette for slimmers is to be launched next week in boulangeries across the country.

The "Optimatin" loaf has the same refined taste as a classic baguette but contains a unique combination of grains and fibres that staves off hunger for longer, according to its inventor, food scientist Claude Godard.


Did you think this would ever happen? Please let us know how the baquettes taste.